The Upper has been on fire! The river is flowing lower than average but fishing is still great and it is fly soup on the water on a daily basis. This is helping to produce some of the best dry fly fishing in years over epic hatches like the salmonfly, golden stones, pmds, caddis and yellow sally. It is fly soup on the entire river. Nymphing is still the best producer day in and day out and it is important to match the hatch on the nymphs too – golden stone nymphs trailed by caddis early, then pmds followed by small attractor nymphs after 2pm is a good bet. The morning fishing has been better than the afternoons most days.The Upper Madison continues to be a consistent and productive fishery. Trout can be holding virtually anywhere in the river. If the banks don't produce, change your game plan and try fishing center river pockets and runs. Stonefly nymphs like a Pat's rubberlegs is a great option to get a handful of trout to the net. We've been seeing plenty of caddis, golden stones, yellow sallies and some PMDs as well. Trail a $3 dip, GC hare's ear, quilldigon, or FKA prince off of your Pat's rubberlegs to cover all of your bases. The salmonfly fishing has been his or miss. Give a big foam bug a try like a flutter bug or a water walker to prospect for some big surface eats.
The mornings and evening present the best opportunities for dry fly fishing. Come to the river armed with foam run caddis, parachute adams and flutter bugs to get your dry fly fix.
Flies for the Madison Right Now:
Flutter Bug in sizes 4-6
Rogue Foam Stones in size 4-6
Parachute Adams in sizes 12-18
Royal PMXs in sizes 10-12
Pats Rubberlegs in brown/tan or brown in sizes 8-14
Pheasant Tails in flashback or natural in sizes 10-16
Rainbow warriors in sizes 14-20
Firebead or hot bead SJ wormies in sizes 8-12
Beadhead PTs in sizes 18-22
Juju beatis in flash or tan in sizes 16-20
The Month Ahead:
The next few weeks should continue to produce some good fishing. Aquatic hatches will continue to drive the fishing until mid July or so. Continue to target the deeper slots where the fish are concentrated. As air temps heat up expect dam releases to increase and flows to bump up a bit which should help water temps on the lower section of the river closer to Ennis.The next few weeks should continue to produce some good fishing. Aquatic hatches will continue to drive the fishing until mid July or so. As air temps heat up expect dam releases to increase and flows to bump up a bit which should help water temps on the lower section of the river closer to Ennis.
Long Term Fishing Forecast:
The Upper Madison is a very consistent fishery and this season should continue to produce good results up and down the river. With near average moisture levels over the winter the flows should be a normal levels. The Madison will be a safe bet all season long.